Crossroads Conventions
by Casa Circe
Summary: On this historic day, I decided to celebrate by posting one big crazy crossover one-shot.10-10-10. 10 animes, 10 categories, 10 chapters. Enjoy the madness.
1. Arrival and Registration

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

NOTE: On this historic day, I decided to celebrate by posting one big crazy crossover one-shot. I won't bore you with a long explanation so I'll give a simple one.

10-10-10. 10 animes, 10 categories, 10 chapters.

Enjoy the madness.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter One: Arrival and Registration

All was abuzz at the Twisted Destiny Royale, a grand hotel that had opened only for one day, for one historic event.

The entire staff had gathered in the lobby to receive their final instructions from the Organizer, a small but dynamic woman who was more than she seemed. She adjusted her glasses and double checked the items on her clipboard.

"Is everything ready?" she asked each member of the staff.

Everyone reported that their tasks had been accomplished and the necessary preparations had been made. The Organizer listened carefully and continued to verify things from her list.

"The guests will be arriving soon," she reminded them all, "so you will have to brace yourselves."

The staff nodded obediently, aware of the unique circumstances of this set of conventions. They had all been trained extensively for this event and yet they also knew that once those grand, ancient double doors were opened, anything could happen.

"All right, take your places and get ready," the Organizer instructed, "and good luck to us all."

Immediately, every member of the staff proceeded to their designated stations, bracing themselves for what was to come.

It was also going to be a challenge considering some of the guests had been resurrected from the dead. It had not been a pleasant process but it had been necessary.

The Organizer waited in suspense for the first batch of guests to arrive. She knew that this event was going to be a logistical nightmare, with people flying, beaming, riding in from all over the known (and unknown) universe but she was determined to make it a success.

"Let the Crossroads Conventions begin," she muttered softly.

And at once, the lobby filled with the hustle bustle of new arrivals.

Some had entered the traditional way, through the doors, while others had dropped from the sky or ceiling and others had materialized in pillars of light. There was a general clamor about how they had all gotten there and the hall was instantly filled with a cacophony of voices, some angry, some confused, but mostly all surprised.

The Organizer rolled her eyes as she observed this first phase of the event. Why should they all be surprised considering the invitations had been sent out weeks ago?

But she knew the answer. They probably didn't take those invitations seriously. For them it would have been like Harry Potter receiving his letter to Hogwarts for the first time.

Nevertheless, they were gathered here now, because destiny had made it so. So they would just have to deal with it.

The lobby was filled with identical questions from various voices.

"Where are we?"

"What are we doing here?"

"What are _you _doing here?" 

"I'm hungry."

"I'm tired."

"Hey, there hotness." (Usually this was followed by loud slaps from the female guests).

"How annoying and inconvenient."

"Oh no, not again."

Some gun shots were heard and swords were drawn, not to mention the other powers and weapons being displayed. Many of the trained staff proceeded quickly to alleviate these tense situations and to remind the guests that there would be a proper time and venue for them to engage in battle. For the most part, these interventions succeeded because all the enraged and confused guests wanted to know what they were doing there.

Eventually, some of the guests recovered enough presence of mind to realize that they were in a hotel. Those who were the calmest during these period were the human students. After all, they had been whisked away to mysterious new worlds before. They were used to the madness.

So it was this small group of young students who first approached the registration table.

"Welcome to the Crossroads Conventions," a cheerful staff member greeted them, "please check your name on the list of these categories and place your signature beside it."

Hitomi Kanzaki nodded and looked at the various lists laid out on the table. They were all very interesting categories with lists from a dozen names to only about two. It was a bizarre kind of convention but considering what she had been through before, this was not so bad.

She browsed through the various lists and read the following categories:

"Awesome Older Siblings"

"Men of Cloth Kick Ass"

"Gluttons and Drunks"

"Those Who Fight with Fire"

"Femme Fatales"

"Flirts"

"Half-breeds"

"Killer Smiles"

"Winning Teams"

She even saw some familiar names on the lists which she did not expect to be there. She hoped that she would bump into some of them.

"Hello there, Hitomi," a cool, serious voice greeted her.

The young girl whirled around to see the familiar tall figure of Folken Fanel.

"Lord Folken!" she cried in surprise, "you're alive."

"I don't know how I managed to survive but here I am," he said, "and apparently I'm in several categories."

"Good for you," Hitomi replied with a smile, "I haven't found my list yet."

"Here's your name," he said pointing to a moderately long list.

And indeed the girl found herself listed under a strange and yet appropriate heading.

"Sophomores in Strange Lands."

"I guess I'll go check out my group first," she said politely, "I hope to see you later."

"Yes, I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about," he replied, "and I'll make sure to bring Van along as well."

"He's here?" she asked hopefully.

"We're together in one of these lists, apparently," Folken explained, "all right then. See you!"

As the former Strategos clipped his name tag on ("HELLO My name is FOLKEN"), a frantic staff member was running around, shouting into his walkie talkie.

"We had to cancel the One-Armed Wonders," the man reported, "since both Edward Elric and Lord Sesshoumaru regained their arms and Lord Folken technically still has two arms, even if one is mechanical!"

Hitomi placed her signature beside her name and looked for her name tag.

She browsed through several names before finding hers:

Kagome Higurashi

Miaka Yuki

Yuuri Shibuya

Yuusuke Urameshi

When she finally found hers, she clipped it on. She was just turning around when another girl, also dressed in a school uniform, got her name tag.

"Hi there, I'm Hitomi," the first girl greeted cheerfully.

"Hi, I'm Kagome," the second girl replied, and they shook hands, "nice to meet you."

The girl at the registration table then instructed them to proceed to a particular venue and the two girls instantly began to exchange stories.

Needless to say, the registration procedure was a lot more chaotic for the rest of the guests that morning.


	2. Meet and Greet

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Two: Meet and Greet

At the venue for the "Sophomores in Strange Lands", there were a handful of Japanese students, all still dressed in their school uniforms, sitting around a small table.

Once they were complete, they all made the necessary introductions and shook hands. And then, they looked around each other awkwardly, waiting for something to happen.

And then, someone finally asked the burning question.

"Why are we called 'Sophomores in Strange Lands'?" Yuuri Shibuya asked.

"Have all of you guys been to other worlds as well?" Hitomi Kanzaki then asked.

Everyone nodded, and suddenly, they were all curious about the others' stories. They had never met other students like them who had been whisked away to alternate universes and they were all eager to share their experiences.

00000000000

Meanwhile, the other groups were not as harmonious and yet also as productive and interesting.

The 'Men of Cloth Kick Ass' group was a bit lonely considering there were only two members so far.

"What the hell are we doing here, anyway?" Genjo Sanzo asked in irritation, lighting a cigarette.

Miroku shrugged, equally puzzled.

"So, you're a monk, huh?" the friendly monk said, trying to initiate a conversation.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sanzo retorted in boredom.

Miroku sighed. This wasn't his idea of fun at all.

0000000000

There were some problems in the venue for pyromaniacs (Those Who Fight With Fire) as everyone was trying to burn something. Luckily, the room prepared for this group was completely fire proof (only appropriate, given the situation), but this did not prevent the participants from quarreling and arguing.

Among the dangerous individuals gathered there were:

A very annoyed Kougaiji

A hysterical Dilandau Albatou

An exasperated Hiei

A disgruntled Wolfram von Bielefield

An exasperated Tasuki

And an increasingly annoyed Roy Mustang.

The only one who seemed relatively calm and friendly in the group was Amano Ginji, who couldn't understand why he was there in the first place.

"Technically, I fight with lighting and electricity," he explained sheepishly, "I don't know how I got included in this group."

A staff member had explained that in some worlds, lightning was considered a form of fire.

"Those who organized this thing must have a death wish," Roy Mustang complained, "why put together so many dangerous individuals in one place?"

"I just want to get back to my fiancé!" Wolfram wailed.

"I have more important things to do than waste my time here," everyone else exclaimed.

"Wow, everyone has the same personality here," Ginji thought, though he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut about it. He hoped that they would all survive this crazy encounter.

0000000000

Things were a lot calmer in the "Femme Fatale" group as the strong and powerful women merely smiled politely and exchanged stories together cheerfully.

They were comparing their powers and skills as well as ranting about the men in their lives who simply did not appreciate them enough. For some reason, this was a big group, and many of the women here did not realize that there were so many other females who suffered as they did.

It was a little awkward at first between Yaone and Sango, one being a demon slayer and the other being a demon, but they worked out that their statuses were different considering their various origins.

Yaone became rather popular among her group mates as she traded alchemy secrets with Himiko and demonstrated healing abilities with Sakura Haruno.

Sakura was at ease in the group because she saw a lot of her friends in it. It was no surprise considering all the ninjas from her village of Konoha as well as Temari from Suna were there.

It was an interesting opportunity to relax in between all the fighting they were involved in.

000000000000

In the "Awesome Older Siblings" group, there were mostly complaints about their younger siblings, although not all older siblings were particularly hostile.

Itachi Uchiha and Folken Fanel both shared stories about how they had to join dark forces for the sake of their beliefs.

Sesshoumaru merely complained about his younger half-breed brother but did not deign to mingle with the other filthy humans gathered there.

Edward Elric sulked in one corner, already growing hungry, and then laughed when he saw Olivier Mira Armstrong in the group as well.

"I'm surprised to see you here," the Full Metal Alchemist said, "but I guess you are a pretty cool older sibling."

"Hmmmph," Armstrong replied, as she looked around. Fortunately she wasn't the only female older sibling in the group. Eries Aston and Kuwabara Shizuru were also quietly sitting and sharing stories about their younger siblings.

000000000

Later on, some participants had to transfer to other rooms since they belonged to more than one category. And others were relieved that they could leave the company of their first group.

Folken reunited with his brother Van Fanel in the "Half-Breeds" group. Most of the members of this group found the label rather offensive but they did not know who to complain to and how it would matter if they did.

Inu Yasha sulked in one corner, scratching his ears with his feet, and the others looked at him curiously.

"He's like a dog," Van whispered to his older brother, and the two Fanels carefully approached the young man in red to ask about him.

Sha Gojyo lit a cigarette and complained about the lack of women in his group. Yuusuke and Hiei were relieved to see each other and began comparing their experiences from their first groups.

For some strange power, none of them could simply storm out of their venues and do whatever they wanted. They were all held in against their will by some sort of barrier or force. Even when they combined forces, they were unable to destroy or overcome this force.

This reluctance to stay was mainly among the male participants since the women were somehow enjoying the strange group sessions.


	3. Journeys and Transportation

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Three: Journeys and Transportation

"So, how did you guys get to your strange worlds?"

Back at the SISL (Sophomores in Strange Lands) group, they began comparing the various means by which they reached their alternate universes.

"Well, I have this pendant from my grandmother," Hitomi explained, showing everyone her necklace, "and somehow, it summons pillars of light that transport me to Gaea."

"That's awesome," some of them said.

"How about you, Kagome?" Hitomi asked.

"Well, our house is near the family shrine and there's a bone-eater's well there," the other girl explained, "and I just sort of jump into the well whenever I want to visit Inu Yasha in the feudal era."

"I got transported by opening the Book of the Four Gods," Miaka answered, though the others weren't particularly interested in what she had to say.

They were all being polite but the general consensus was that Miaka was whiny and annoying.

"Well, what about you,Yuri?" Kagome asked the only boy left in the group (since Yuusuke had transferred earlier to the "Half-Breeds" group).

The young man looked nervous and very reluctant to answer the question.

"Well," he said hesitantly, "it's a bit embarrassing, really."

"Oh, don't worry about it," the girls answered encouragingly, "it can't be weirder than ours."

"Oh, you have no idea," he said.

"Come on," Kagome urged, "we all talked about ours. Don't worry, we won't judge you or anything."

"We've all been through it anyway," Hitomi said, trying to motivate him, "don't be shy."

After much coaxing, Yuuri finally gave in and sighed. The girls waited eagerly for his reply, wondering what had made him so nervous about telling them about it.

"Fine," he conceded very slowly, "I was flushed down a toilet."

And everyone there was speechless for the next few minutes.

000000000000000

"So, how do you guys travel around?" Miroku asked, still trying to sustain a conversation with his aloof companion.

"We have a jeep," Sanzo replied curtly.

"A what now?" Miroku asked.

Sanzo sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes. Based on his observations, this strange monk was not from the same world, or even the same time period as he was, and through the course of their reluctant interaction, he had had to explain various simple technological advances to the perplexed man.

"We have a flying dragon," Sanzo said, instead of explaining what a jeep was.

"Oh, that's interesting," Miroku answered, more convinced by the second reply, "we have a flying animal too. Her name's Kirara."

Sanzo made no reply and simply smoked another cigarette.

000000000

"Wow, you guys have wings!" Inu Yasha exclaimed as the Fanel brothers displayed their heritage.

Van was relieved to see that his older brother's wings had turned white again.

The other "half-breeds" looked with interest at the two brothers and began talking with greater ease with one another.

"My older brother can fly," Inu Yasha said sadly, "I wish I could. It would be a lot more convenient than just running all over the place."

"Yep," Sha Gojyo said, "flying would be a lot more convenient than just riding all over the place in a jeep with three other guys."

"It's not like we got to use our wings a lot though," Van explained, "we're considered cursed because of them."

"Discrimination because of your birth?" Gojyo asked, "welcome to the club."

00000000000

The mentioned modes of transportation had been given comfortable lodgings during the convention, and they seemed to be enjoying the rest from their duties more than their usual passengers.

A small white dragon was chirping cheerfully with a timid demon-kitten named Kirara.

The kitten listened with sympathy as the white dragon complained about the harshness of three of his passengers.

"It's a challenge to put up with them but I still do, anyway," Hakuryu seemed to say, "but I don't get any thanks whatsoever from them, except from Hakkai, of course."

And the demon-kitten consoled him as best as she could.

000000000000

At the "Killer Smiles" group, there was a cheery mood. After all, the participants gathered there were all cool, mild-mannered and friendly individuals, with perpetual smiles on their faces and yet very dangerous when provoked.

It almost seemed farcical to have all those smiling faces around you when everyone was easily capable of being a cold-blooded killer.

Among the people gathered there were Cho Hakkai, Himura Kenshin, Seta Soujiro, Kazuki Fuuchouin, Kuroudo Akabane, Chichiri, Kurama, and Sai.

After a while, they began talking about the journeys that they were taking in life.

Hakkai and Kenshin got along well as they both discussed their paths to redemption after bloody pasts.

"Your journey seems quite fun though," Kenshin commented, "because your companions seem to be great friends of yours."

"You could say that, I guess," Hakkai said with a smile, scratching his head, "we've been through a lot together but it hasn't been easy dealing with those guys."

They all agreed that sometimes, the best way to fool their enemy was to simply smile and look mild-mannered. But all the members of this group could sense that they were among very powerful individuals who were never to be trifled with.

00000000000000000

There was still no really productive discussion in the room for Those Who Fight With Fire as the flames raged among the members.

But they also began comparing fighting techniques and sharing secrets on how to most effectively manipulate fire.

At one point, the others did start to talk about themselves more, if only to break the monotony of the constant burning.

00000000000000000000

After a while, again many of the reluctant male participants wanted to find some means of transportation to get out of the weird conference. They all had important missions to resume and tasks to accomplish and most really felt that this was a colossal waste of time.

And again, they had no choice but to stay.


	4. Enemies

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Four: Enemies

At length, through a loud speaker in every room, all the participants were asked to gather in one of the bigger function rooms of the hotel. There would be a general discussion among all the people so the groups were finally allowed to disperse.

The most reluctant to part were the students who had been eagerly sharing their experiences in strange lands and who had formed some friendships with each other even in such a short time.

"I guess I'll see you later, Hitomi," Kagome said with a friendly wave.

"You too, Kagome," Hitomi replied.

Yuri waved at them as well. He was glad to have made new friends and was relieved that they did not laugh at him after the revelation of how he had reached the demon world. But he wanted to make sure that his jealous fiancé would not see how friendly he was with them, for the sake of their safety.

But silently, all three sophomores were glad to be rid of Miaka Yuki's insufferable presence.

"Van!"

"Inu Yasha!"

Both Hitomi and Kagome were ran straight into the arms of their loved ones and found (to their surprise) that both young men had emerged from the "Half-Breeds" group.

The two girls immediately made the necessary introductions and their friendship grew stronger. It helped that Van and InuYasha were already on good terms with each other as well.

The "Femme Fatale" group had also grown quite close in the short time that they had been together. They all made promises to chat with one another in the course of the day and wished each other the best.

The reunions of the various groups with their respective members made the grand hall a very noisy place. Everyone was relieved and happy to see familiar faces, and they all quickly discussed what had taken place in their strange group discussions.

"How long do we have to stay here, I wonder?" Edward Elric told his younger brother.

Alphonse shrugged and simply smiled.

"At least there are some people here we know," the younger Elric commented, waving to Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye who had just met each other after leaving their respective groups.

"Why are we still here?" several disgruntled participants complained loudly to their companions as they waited impatiently for something interesting to happen.

"I like this a lot better," Gojyo cried out, seeing all the pretty girls who had gathered in the hall, "it's time to put on the charm."

Hakkai rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm hungry," Goku whined, "when are they going to serve the food?"

He was silenced by the hit of a paper fan as Sanzo expressed his extreme displeasure at the circumstances.

"Hey, look, isn't that Kougaiji's group over there?" Goku asked.

And true enough, the son of Gyumao and his friends were present. They approached Sanzo's party, if only for the sake of sticking with people who were familiar.

"Do you know who's in charge of this thing?" Kougaiji asked Sanzo.

"No idea," the monk replied, "but when I find him, I'm going to shoot him."

"Now, now," Hakkai said, "no need to get too violent. We're in public, you know."

In another part of the room, the GetBackers were trying to make sense of everything as well.

"Looks like the gang's all here," Ban Midou commented, "what a weird place to meet."

"I don't really mind," Ginji remarked, "we don't have a job now anyway, so we might as well enjoy ourselves as best as we can."

"I'd rather be hanging out at the Honky Tonk, though," the user of the Evil Eye commented.

As the large group waited, the discussions turned to enemies, and the wide array of adversaries each group had to face.

"Well, we were up against an Emperor who wanted to destroy the whole world and create a new one," Hitomi told Kagome, "and he made this huge destiny machine thing that granted the wishes of everyone in the zone of absolute fortune or something like that."

"Sounds like the Shikon Jewel," Kagome commented, "it's this magical jewel that grants the wishes of everyone who has it. We were up against someone who had some pretty nasty wishes."

The Elric brothers happened to pass by and introduced themselves before joining the discussion.

"We had to fight this weird Father guy who wanted to become God," Ed Elric shared.

Naruto and company also joined in and talked about Akatsuki and the many, many, many enemies they had had to face.

"Honestly, what is up with all these villains?" Yusuke complained, "they're all obsessed with the same thing."

"World domination," someone else muttered, "or destroying the current world to build a new one."

"Oh, is Homura here too?" Goku interrupted, before being hit by a fan again.

"Villains are so unimaginative," Ban complained, "and that's why they always lose."

"I'll drink to that," someone else agreed heartily, "absolute power isn't as cracked up as people think it is."

"We can't stop the constant fighting by causing more war," Kenshin Himura said, "so even if it's a long and difficult road, we have to start working for peace."

"And so he wins Miss Universe," someone commented. Kenshin merely raised an eyebrow while all the human students laughed.

"I don't get it," Inu Yasha said.

"Me neither," answered Van with a shrug.

"All I'm after is getting our mission done and over with," Sanzo complained, "we've been travelling for far too long already."

"All we really want is to have a regular income," Ginji commented, "everything works well as long as we have a job."

Then, a loud grumbling noise was heard, coming from various individuals in the large assembly.

"All this talking is making me hungry," Naruto Uzumaki complained, rubbing his stomach.

"Me too," Inu Yasha had to agree. And his sentiments were echoed by several other participants in the assembly. The growling and grumbling of stomachs caused as sort of symphony which only made all those who were annoyed even more so.

And though the others weren't as gluttonous as some, everyone suddenly felt tired of all the serious discussions and ready to take a well-deserved break.

"Attention, attention everyone," a voice was heard on the loud speaker, "thank you for your patience. Please proceed to the next room where your food will promptly be served. We hope you enjoy the meal we have prepared for you."


	5. AllYouCanEat Buffet

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Five: All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

"I wonder if the organizer of this whole event was in his right mind when he decided to set an all-you-can-eat buffet and then invited Goku and Lirin to it," Gojyo commented as he watched his ravenous monkey-brained companion dig into the feast like a starving animal.

"Whatever he was thinking, he knew what to expect," Hakkai commented with amusement.

"For as long as I'm not paying for any of this, I don't really care," Sanzo said nonchalantly.

"Yeah right, as if you're the one who actually pays," Gojyo retorted, and barely dodged a bullet shot in his direction.

For the feast laid out was more lavish than any of them had ever seen.

And in spite of the presence of hungry bottomless pits of guests, the food supply continued to be replenished (by exhausted but enduring waiters and servers) and there was more than enough for everyone.

"I pity the people working in the kitchen," Sakura commented as she watched Naruto consume endless bowls of steaming hot ramen.

"I know," Kagome agreed, watching Inu Yasha eat large chunks of raw meat, "I wonder if they get paid enough for such a tough job."

The buffet table was effectively segregated between the excessive eaters and the regular eaters. This way, the rest of the assembly would not be bothered by those who had the tendency to consume large portions of food.

And it was also a good way to avoid a lot of messes as the mess was concentrated in one area of the eating hall only.

The rest of the guests watched in amazement as the gluttons continued to devour everything they set their eyes on.

Everyone was glad that there was such an arrangement that separated the big eaters from the others. But they had to wonder how the organizers had anticipated the endless appetite of some of their guests.

For his part, Son Goku was in absolute bliss. Beside him, Lirin was likewise expressing her extreme contentment at the services of the hotel.

"I wish we could live here," Goku said dreamily, "there's so much good food, and it just keeps on coming!"

"I've never had any food as great as all this!" Lirin exclaimed as she stuffed another pork bun in her mouth.

The others were too busy stuffing themselves to be able to comment.

"I'm just glad that this time I'm not paying for any of that," Edward Elric commented as he watched Ling Yao eat and eat and eat.

"The host of this hotel is lucky that none of the Homunculi are alive," Alphonse commented.

"Greed and Gluttony would empty those tables in no time," Roy Mustang observed.

In another part of the hall, Paul Wan watched as Ban and Ginji took their fill of the feast.

"I wish we could just leave those two here," the owner of the Honky Tonk commented, "so at least they don't have to freeload at my place all the time. Their tab is huge."

Kenshin Himura and Kaoru Kamiya also watched as Sanosuke and Yahiko took their fill in the feast.

"Well, at least Tae won't have to worry about feeding these two for a long time," Kaoru commented, "I think Sano already owes the Akabeko a fortune."

There were a fair share of skeptics and paranoid eaters as well who wondered if the food was poisoned or if they would have to pay for the meal in the end. But all in all, everyone enjoyed themselves at the feast and at the end, no one complained about being hungry for the next few hours.

Some worried that the demons among them might try to eat humans but there was no trouble at all caused by the other beings. And naturally, there were no vampires present at the feast to cause trouble.

"This would all be well and good if they served some alcohol," Gojyo complained, "some beer or sake would be good."

"Isn't it a little early in the day for beer?" someone asked.

"It's never too early," Gojyo replied with a grin.

But as the feast continued, more and more guests began to wonder about the nature and identity of the person or persons who had brought them to that strange convention and banquet.

No one among them had ever heard of the Twisted Destiny Royale, though now it seemed clear where the hotel had gotten its name. All of them had received strange invitations some time before but they had not taken these seriously. The idea of an inter dimensional convention just seemed too absurd.

And they all knew that none of their enemies would have the brains or the power to pull off such an elaborate trap, if it was a trap.

"How many times must the universe toy with us before it just leaves us alone?" Folken wondered.

None of the priestesses, psychics, or monks could sense any negative energy behind all of this and yet they could not help but be suspicious.

"Even with my pendant and my powers," Hitomi said, "I don't know what's going on. I haven't had any visions about this."

"My spiritual powers haven't alerted me to any danger though," Kagome shared, "but I'm still curious about all this."

"My powers haven't shown me anything either," Miaka commented, but she was met with curt nods from the two other girls. Whatever her power was, she was still annoying.

"I hope that this is not one of those places where we get trapped here forever," Gojyo complained, "we still have a mission to fulfill, you know."

"I'm worried about that too," Hakkai agreed.

"Everything here seems too real to be a dream, though," Alphonse Elric commented.

"What are you doing there, Gaara?" Temari asked her brother carefully.

"Just checking my totem," the Sand master replied.

"Your what?" Temari repeated but then didn't bother her brother any further. He could be such a mystery sometimes.

But the sand master was staring intently at a small hour glass and waiting for the sand to run out.

Unfortunately, Naruto accidentally stepped on the glass object, shattering it to pieces, as the future Hokage chased Son Goku and Lirin, who had stolen all the ramen.

"This is a disaster," everyone in the room then felt, everyone except the gluttons who continued to eat whatever was served to them by the breathless and exhausted waiters.


	6. Exhibition of Powers Male

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Six: Exhibition of Powers – Male

After the feast, while everyone was quietly relaxing, and the others were picking their teeth contentedly, another announcement was made on the speakers. Some were only half-listening as they were taking a nap after bloating themselves

"Attention, everyone," the voice began, "we will now begin with the second half of our big event, the exhibition of powers."

A loud cheer was heard from the crowd at this announcement and all the warriors excitedly began to prepare themselves.

"Please be reminded, however," the voice continued, "that this is merely going to be a DEMONSTRATION of one's fighting skills and other abilities, and not a fight or a competition. Anyone who tries to start a conflict will have to remain in the hotel forever – without any food."

Groans echoed in the hall and everyone was made to understand clearly what the rules were.

"We will begin with only our male participants, the female exhibition will take place after," the voice announced, "please all proceed to the open arena just outside of the doors on your right to watch the exhibition. All audience members are to take their seats on the bleachers all throughout the demonstration. Thank you."

All did as they were told, eager and curious to see what the exhibition would be like. The bleachers were filled with all the female participants in the conference who were ready to cheer for their men as soon as they came out.

First up were the human swordsmen led by Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Yahiko.

After a short display of their skills, there was loud applause from the audience.

They were followed by the many ninjas of Konoha and Suna. This took a lot longer since each ninja wanted to display all his abilities (and some wanted to show off to the girls in the audience). Nevertheless, it was an impressive exhibition and loud applause was heard all throughout.

Then, there were the Alchemists of both Xing and Amestris, (though Edward Elric had already lost his Alchemy, he still was there to support his brother, Alphonse). The most impressive display was, of course, Roy Mustang's fire alchemy, and though Alex Armstrong's Alchemy was great, everyone was too distracted by his muscles and the strange sparkles that surrounded him as he showed off. (In the audience, his older sister rolled her eyes and shook her head with disapproval).

Then, followed the warriors from the Demon World, led by Yuri (in his Demon King form.) The others who showed their powers were, of course, Wolfram, Conrad, Gwendal and Günter. This was followed by the exhibition by the Seven Celestial Warriors of Suzaku. The loudest applause from the audience came from the priestess of Suaku herself, and unfortunately, her annoying cheers made the Celestial Warriors less favored by the rest of the audience.

After these, the arena was cleared out for the exhibition of the GetBackers and their friends. Ginji showed his electricity-generating technique and Ban (since using the Evil Eye was not exactly a good idea for a demonstration) merely showed his Snake Bite technique. Then, followed presentations by Ginji's old friends, Kazuki, Shido, and Juubei, as well as a frightening display of Dr. Jackal's fighting style.

Then came Team Urameshi, with the four great fighters showing off their amazing powers, with Yusuke of course capping it off with his trade mark rei gun. Again, some great applause came from the audience, and not just from the friends and family of the people there.

Then, Miroku, Inu Yasha, and Sesshoumaru were up next. Miroku's part was quick so that Inu Yasha could show the amazing powers of his Tetsusaiga. And although Sesshoumaru found the exhibition beneath him, he could not stand being bested by his half-breed brother so he showed off the power of his Bakusaiga. And naturally, most the audience cheered for the cooler older brother. Though Sesshoumaru walked away nonchalantly, he was beaming with pride inside.

The penultimate groups were Sanzo's Party and Kougaiji and Dokugakuji who reluctantly put on a show. Gojyo, Goku, and Lirin were more than happy to show off all their powers while their other companions did so only out of boredom. Sanzo, in particular, took no pleasure in the display, and wanted it only to be over as quickly as possible. Like Sesshoumaru, he felt it was beneath him.

But they were all cheered loudly by the spectators and each fighter walked way with a great feeling of pride in their abilities.

Finally, everyone waited impatiently for the last batch of male fighters who would demonstrate their powers. Hitomi wondered why they had kept Van, Allen, and Dilandau for last. She knew their swordsmanship was excellent but after the amazing displays from the others, she wasn't too sure they would impress.

And then, to everyone's surprise, three huge robot-like machines appeared on the arena, and Hitomi knew exactly why they had been left for last.

"Whoa, robots!" someone cried out.

"They're called guymelefs actually," Hitomi said with pride.

And everyone marveled as each guymelef demonstrated its power. First was Allen's Scheherazade followed by Dilandau's Oreades (with his Crima Claws, Flame Thrower, and Stealth Cloak) and finally, Escaflowne, the Dragon itself. Van even demonstrated how the guymelef could morph into a flying dragon.

Loud cheers and applause followed this magnificent display and the three guymelefs exited the arena proudly. For her part, Hitomi was also relieved that Dilandau had not tried to cause any trouble, and she was glad that there was some power that was somehow restraining him.

The arena was cleared up and some staff members entered to clean up any mess or debris left behind by all the male presenters. Some ushers appeared on the sides of the bleachers to call the female performers and to remind them to get ready.

The announcement was heard once more from the speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the voice said, "in a few minutes, we will be having the female power exhibitions. Please stay in your seats and enjoy the show!"


	7. Exhibition of Powers Female

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Seven: Exhibition of Powers – Female

This time, most of the audience members were all the male warriors who had demonstrated their powers earlier. They were excited to see what the women could do and were more than ready to cheer the girls on.

There were still some girls left on the bleachers, though, because not all had powers which were used for combat. So everyone waited in eager anticipation for the exhibition to begin.

The announcer also clarified that this presentation would be significantly shorter than the last one.

"Don't get as wrong, we are not being sexist," the announcer said on the speakers, in a rare show of opinion, "but this is simply because some of our female participants have refused to demonstrate their abilities today and other combatant female participants were unable to make it for this event. We are sorry for the inconvenience and we hope that you still enjoy the show."

"Hey," some of the men complained, "we were all forced to give these silly exhibitions, how come the women are exempt from them?"

Surprisingly, the announcer replied to this particular complaint.

"Because we all know that no matter how reluctant you are to show your powers, you always want to take any opportunity to show off. So please stop complaining."

There was still some minor grumbling after this but some of the men had to admit that the voice was correct about them. After all, they had enjoyed all the attention they had gotten after they had demonstrated all their unique abilities earlier.

"Furthermore," the announcer added, "the management will not tolerate any lewd or rude behavior from the male members of the audience. Violators will be severely punished. So be warned."

Fortunately, this instruction was taken seriously by the men and they kept quiet about it. It was only fair to all the women who would be presenting. After all, they never had to worry about women being offensive to them when they were showing off.

The order of presentation was the same as the first batch of presentations, though some of the groups were not represented by any female participants.

First to present were Kaoru Kamiya and Makimachi Misao. Each lady fighter demonstrated her skills with expertise and loud cheers and applause from the entire audience.

Next followed the biggest group of female performers so far, the many ninjas from Konoha (led by Tsunade herself) as well as Temari from Suna. Their fellow team mates and ninjas cheered them on enthusiastically (and almost cliquishly) while the rest of the audience marveled at the variety of techniques presented.

Some of the other male fighters even took notes of the techniques being demonstrated, as future reference. This was by far the longest presentation of all but a very impressive and entertaining one.

After this came the ladies from Amestris and Xing. Only Izumi Curtis was an alchemist and Mei Ling was a practitioner of alkahestry. Nevertheless, the other female fighters were not a disappointment at all. Riza Hawkeye impressed even Sanzo with her skills with firearms and her excellent aim.

("There must be something about blondes and guns," Gojyo had commented wryly to Hakkai.)

And of course, Olivier Armstrong even impressed the experienced swordsmen like Kenshin and Sesshoumaru with her sword wielding abilities.

So once again, loud cheers and applause were given to this batch of presenters.

There were only a few female fighters left to represent some of the remaining groups. But the next few exhibitions were not at all disappointing.

Next up was the so-called Poison Lady, Himiko Kudou, who brought out several vials of her deadly perfumes and demonstrated the magic spells that could be evoked by these perfumes. The audience watched in awe as the girl wove her magic using only small vials of mysterious liquids. She was the only female to represent the GetBackers and their friends as most of their fighters were male.

The next female fighter was the legendary reiki master and martial arts expert, Genkai, who displayed her tremendous skills easily and impressively. She even gave a short demonstration of her trademark technique, the Spirit Wave. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama all cheered enthusiastically for her and the rest of the audiences followed suit. No one had imagined that such a petite lady could be such a fierce and formidable fighter. No other females from Yusuke's group were to demonstrate.

After Genkai, Sango and Kagome appeared at the arena to demonstrate their skills. Hitomi waved excitedly at her new friend while the other members of the Femme Fatale group all cheered Sango. The male spectators were also very supportive as well. Their demonstration was simple and straightforward enough. Kagome showed her amazing archery prowess while Sango merely showed some of the powers of her Hiraikotsu. Many of the men were impressed at how the demon slayer was able to effortlessly fling such a huge weapon, aim it accurately, and catch it without any difficulty at all. There were loud cheers from Inu Yasha and Miroku, and then from everyone else.

Next were the two other members of Kougaiji's group, Yaone and Lirin. The latter was more eager and excited to display her fighting skills while Yaone showed her talents with using small explosives as well as wielding her blade. All members of Sanzo's Party (except Sanzo, of course) cheered for the two women and showed their support along with Dokugakuji and Kougaiji. And as usual, the rest of the audience were also quite impressed by this display.

Since Naria and Eria were not able to make it to the convention, no female fighter represented Gaea during the exhibition of powers.

So the female demonstration ended a lot earlier than the previous event but everyone was already tired after such amazing and intense shows. They hoped that whatever came next would not require exertion of too much effort.

Once again, members of the hotel staff entered the arena to clear up any debris that was left behind. Everyone marveled at the efficiency of these maintenance crew.

Just as the audience was beginning to grow impatient, the expected announcement was given over the speakers.

"Thank you to all those who generously decided to share their talents with all of us. We sincerely hope that you all enjoyed the exhibition of powers and abilities by both the male and female participants. We will now proceed to the next event of today's convention, the symposium."


	8. Symposium

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Eight: Symposium

"A symposium? What's that?" many started to ask.

"Sounds boring! I do not want to go!" others whined, only to be silenced violently by their companions.

Loud complaints and groans were heard from the participants as they were ushered to the next venue, another large assembly hall. Those who had an idea of what was to come knew that they might not like it while those who had no clue were still upset at not knowing about it.

"Kagome, do you know what it is?" Inu Yasha inquired his companion, being unfamiliar with human customs.

"Hmm," Kagome replied, thinking hard, "from what I remember about symposia we attended in school, it's like some sort of lecture."

"That's what I know too," Hitomi added, since she was walking closely with Kagome's group, "though I don't think anyone here would be interested in sitting down to listen to any lecture."

"What are the organizers of this event planning?" Edward Elric asked, "this is hardly the type of venue for some serious symposium. I expect trouble."

But there those among the participants who had some suspicions about what the announcer really meant by the word symposium.

It was only when large amounts of alcohol began to be served that they all realized what it truly was. But some were even more confused than ever, especially those who had attended lectures before.

Fortunately, the familiar female voice of the announcer was on the speakers once more, clearing things up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, sorry for the misunderstanding," the voice said, "but the symposium we are having tonight is more along the traditions of ancient Greece, and not some boring lecture."

"Did she hear us, I wonder?" Kagome whispered to Hitomi who only shrugged.

"You see," the announcement continued, "symposium comes from the Greek word 'sympotein' which means 'to drink together'. Therefore, what we are going to have now is a big drinking party!"

At the sound of the words "drinking party" a loud cheer erupted from the crowd of men while the women all shuddered in horror.

"Now this is more like it!" Sha Gojyo exclaimed excitedly, "after all that work, we finally get some good stuff!"

"Mom would have loved this," Yusuke said, shaking his head.

"Finally!" Dilandau Albatou cried out enthusiastically.

Many of the other non-alcohol inclined guests shook their heads and expected the worst. Surely a riot would break out once all those crazy drunks got busy consuming large amounts of alcohol.

And if the buffet earlier was any indication of the abundance of the hotel's resources, there was sure to be trouble.

But once again, the announcer spoke to clear things up.

"We are well aware that only certain guests would find enjoyment in the symposium so we have reserved other, less inebriating activities, for everyone else."

At this, there was a loud sigh of relief.

"There is still one more big event before the conclusion of the convention so we would like to give time to the rest of the participants to prepare for this while the others enjoy the drinking party."

At once several ushers and usherettes appeared to escort all the girls (who weren't going to drink) to a certain venue and rest of the non-alcoholic men to another part of the hotel. The drinkers were glad and relieved to be away from their sober friends because they were ready to cause some trouble.

Soon enough, the drinks arrived, in great variety. Every kind of wine, sake, beer, and other alcoholic drinks imaginable was served, even including the monkey wine that Sanzo and his party had tried in one of the towns they had stopped by.

"This is great!" all the drinkers exclaimed as they took their glasses of the trays which were quickly being replenished by experienced waiters.

"This is the only worthwhile part of this whole day," Sanzo muttered as he sipped his drink pensively.

"I'll drink to that," Hakkai said with a smile before downing his own drink.

Somewhere in the hall, Dilandau Albatou was celebrating as well, taking the whole bottle of wine from a tray and pouring generous amounts into his goblet.

"The only thing missing here are some card games and some hot girls," Gojyo said.

"Don't push your luck," Hakkai warned him, "this is a posh place. They can't give in to all your vices, you know."

But Gojyo wasn't really paying any attention. He was busy taking one shot after another.

The other participants who were into drinking were now happily toasting to all sorts of things and finding ridiculous excuses to drink more.

Just as they had suspected, the drinks flowed as freely and abundantly as the food did in the buffet earlier. To their delight, they could have the pick of their preferred beverages and not have to pay a single cent.

Toasts were given and "cheers" were shouted at every turn.

Someone once proposed a drinking game and they all began taking a shot for every time they were bored during the conference. At length, all sorts of drinking games began, and the symposium was enjoyed to the very fullest.

"I wonder if we can take some of these home with us?" Gojyo suggested mischievously.

"I think that would be pushing our host's generosity a little too far, don't you?" Hakkai replied, slightly ashamed at his friend's lack of manners.

"Besides, I don't want to have to deal with your drunken stupor on our way to the west," Sanzo complained.

"More wine!" Dilandau cried from one end of the hall, and his request was promptly delivered to him, much to his delight.

But in spite of all of their amazing (and almost inhuman) tolerance for alcohol, some of them grew a little tipsy and the others reminded them that they needed to stop.

"After all," Hakkai said with a smile, still unaffected by the volume of alcohol in his system, "the announcer said that there was still one more event before the end of this conference. And we at least would want to be conscious for that."

"We don't know what it's going to be," Sanzo said, "so we'd better be prepared for anything."

"You're right, as always," Goyjo conceded reluctantly, "it's just sad to put all this booze to waste though."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find some use for it," Hakkai reassured his friend.

So little by little, the symposium ended with a number of satisfied participants who thankfully still remained conscious.

All of them there agreed that they would willingly attend another conference if there were more symposia for them! It had clearly been the highlight of an otherwise bizarre and incomprehensible day.


	9. Ball

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

Note: This is full of both canon pairings, some of my preferred ships as well as a crack ship or two. All in good fun.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Nine: Ball

"You look very pretty in that dress, Kagome," Hitomi complimented her friend.

"Thanks, Hitomi, you too!" the other girl eagerly and sincerely returned the compliment.

"It will be like going to the prom again, won't it?" the psychic student commented.

"I know! And this time I get to dance with the guy I like," Kagome enthusiastically agreed.

"I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy this part of the conference," Keiko Yukimura said as she adjusted the sash on her dress.

"I don't usually like dressing up like this," Winry Rockbell commented, "but I guess it feels nice to do so on special occasions."

All the women had been led into a room filled with a wide array of party dresses and gowns and they could choose whichever they liked to wear to the final big event of the conference, the ball.

The dresses given to them were of different styles and colors and they were free to choose whichever suited their fancy that night.

Naturally, most of the female participants were excited to join such an event, filled with music and dancing. It was especially interesting for those who had their boyfriends present.

"It's going to be a night to remember, I'm sure of it," Sakura Haruno told her friend, "aren't you excited, Hinata?"

"Yes, I am," the timid girl replied, blushing at the thought of dancing with Naruto.

"I only hope the men-folk will be taking this seriously," Kaoru Kamiya commented, slightly suspiciously, "I'm just glad that Kenshin didn't join that crazy symposium. I don't want to be dancing with a drunk."

All the other girls heartily agreed, and were relieved to know that their loved ones were not at the drinking party.

Instead, these potential dance partners were having less fun as they were forced to dress up in formal wear for the ball.

"Why do we have to do this again?" was the general clamor from the male dressing rooms.

"Because I don't think we have a choice!" someone else yelled.

And there were groans and disgruntled mutterings echoing across the room. 

"Where's the mirror? I think I really look weird," one of the boys was complaining.

"It's like High School all over again," Yusuke muttered to Kuwabara, who was actually excited to be dancing with the girls.

"Come on, brother, it's not that bad," Alphonse consoled his sulky older brother.

"Yeah, Fullmetal," Roy was telling him, "you have to learn to look like a man every now and then." 

"I resent that," the alchemist replied icily.

Roy shrugged, being used to dating and dressing up. This time, he was looking forward to dancing with perhaps the most important woman in his life, Riza Hawkeye.

The other, older men, were a little more mature about the matter and dressed themselves with dignity and refinement. Kenshin was looking forward to the dance, and he made sure to make himself look presentable.

Folken played the proper older brother and helped Van change out of his usual "peasant" wear into something that befitted his rank.

Sesshoumaru, as an older brother, couldn't care less how Inu Yasha looked like.

Getting ready was always a more painful process for the men than it was for their partners.

000000000000000000

At length, everyone had finished dressing up and they were all ushered into a lavishly decorated ballroom complete with elaborate ornaments and chandeliers, and a live band.

All the girls grinned and blushed and stayed together, waiting for the men to take initiative. They also looked proudly at their men, who looked more presentable than they had ever been.

For a few moments, the men were speechless and wide-eyed as they admired the beauty of their partners. They were all of a sudden shy and uncertain of how to proceed. But after a few well-placed nudges, the dance began, and the nervous, shy young men somehow found their way to their partners.

There was mutual blushing and reluctance to make eye contact. (And from the sidelines there was eye-rolling and slapping of foreheads). But eventually, everything fell into place.

"May I have this dance?" each boy recited his crucial line perfectly, with hand extended properly.

"You may," every girl answered shyly, taking their partners' hands and beginning the realization of a long held dream.

So Van danced with Hitomi, Kagome with Inu Yasha, Miroku with Sango, Tamahome with Miaka, Ed with Winry, Al with May, Kenshin with Kaoru, Naruto with Hinata, Sasuke with Sakura, and Yusuke with Keiko.

As was the great prom tradition, the "slow dance" was nothing more than swaying back and forth to the music, but none of the couples really minded.

There were so many guests left waiting for partners so some of the men found the nerve to approach the ladies they would not be able to speak to on other occasions.

"May we suspend all allegiances for now," Hakkai addressed Yaone, "and may I have this dance?"

The alchemist looked uncertainly at Kougaiji who merely nodded at her (and reprimanded himself for not asking first). With a smile she took Hakkai's hand and danced with him. (And fortunately, he was not drunk at all).

Lord Folken likewise found himself walking towards the solitary figure of Princess Eries Aston. She smiled when she saw him and accepted his invitation promptly.

Riza Hawkeye was likewise amused by Roy Mustang's offer and danced with him most eagerly.

For some strange reason, Son Goku wanted to join the dance. And when he saw that Lirin was in a dress that made her look like the girl she was, he shyly approached her. The youkai princess had been waiting for a partner and she had not expected him (of all people) to ask her. But she accepted shyly.

More strange couples formed themselves in the ball, and soon the dance floor was full of happy, love sick pairs, drowning in each other's eyes.

Olivier Armstrong folded her arms in her beautiful but straightforward style gown, hating such feminine activities. Even in a dress, she still wore her sword on her side. She looked around and noticed the aloof figure of Sesshoumaru serenely watching the ball with distaste.

He sensed her watching and returned her gaze. She looked away quickly and stood straight. Though Sesshoumaru had no fondness in humans, he sensed a kindred spirit, and recognized her from the Awesome Older Siblings group.

"Why do you have your sword with you, human?" he asked the surprised officer.

"Because I would rather be fighting than dancing," she answered curtly.

"Hmm," the dog-demon replied. Interesting. And then suddenly, a strange, impulsive idea struck him.

"There's ample space outside for a sparring match," Sesshoumaru said simply, surprised at his own gallantry.

Olivier raised an eyebrow. This was completely unexpected.

"Is that an invitation?" she asked hopefully.

"Do what you will," Sesshoumaru said, "I have nothing better to do."

"It would be an honor," Olivier answered, following him out.

And so the two began a different and more dangerous type of dancing.

The rest of the guests who really had no desire to socialize, spent their time peacefully reflecting on life on the balconies of the ballroom. They wanted to have a view of the world where the hotel was situated but all they saw was a bright full moon and a wide expanse of the hotel grounds extending to infinity.

The music played and dancers danced, and all was just magical for the next few hours.


	10. Dispersion

Crossroad Conventions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the ten animes mentioned in this massive crossover. This whimsical piece of work is merely my weird and wacky tribute to some of my favorite series. No profit is gained except reviews.

Note: Thank you so much for putting up with this crazy, crazy story until the very end.

I know that I have not given each of the ten series equal attention but I really didn't have the time, patience or creativity. You will see to which series I am biased but I preferred focusing on specific characters than giving everyone just a little bit of presence in the story. It's a weird crossover thing anyway.

I apologize for the crappy writing quality as I squeezed this in between studying for my final exams. But it was a lot of fun to write and if you got a laugh or two reading it, then it would have served its purpose.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter Ten: Dispersion

After a long day of strange adventures and making new friends and acquaintances, the historic crossover event.

Each member of the hotel staff was waiting in breathless anticipation for the moment when all their work would be over at last, when they could breathe again.

So far, everything had worked out and all the participants were still alive and well (albeit some were slightly intoxicated and all were happily exhausted.)

Every event had proceeded as planned with minimal controversy and now, it was time for all the guests to return to their own worlds and to resume whatever journeys they were in the middle of.

Many were eager to leave, while some were somehow reluctant to leave the company of the new friends they had made.

Reactions to the end ranged from "Wow, I can't believe it's over!" to "Thank God it's over, let's get the hell out of here!"

What was clear, however, was that everyone would be taking home a bunch of unique memories!

"This is really weird," Hitomi told Kagome, "it's not like we can exchange cell phone numbers or email addresses or anything."

"I know what you mean," the other girl replied, "but for what it's worth, I had a lot of fun with you, Hitomi."

"Same here," the psychic answered, "and I wish you all the best!"

"Maybe if another weird conference happens, we can meet up again!" Kagome said cheerily, eliciting groans and mutterings from the rest of her companions.

"Maybe," Hitomi said, "take care now!"

"Bye everyone," Yuri waved to his new friends and they waved back.

The other sophomores even bothered to politely bid farewell to Miaka and her group. But they all wished they would not have to meet her again.

"It was an honor to make your acquaintance, Master Sanzo," Miroku told his fellow-monk politely.

Sanzo, as was his manner, merely nodded curtly before turning around and walking away.

Meanwhile, Sanzo's party was busy getting ready to resume their journey. They said their good-bye's to the group of Kougaiji, knowing that they would eventually cross paths anyway.

Yusuke and his team bid farewell to the ninjas of Konoha and Suna while the alchemists of Amestris and Xing said good-bye to the GetBackers and company.

Of all the categories in the convention, the groups that had bonded the most were undoubtedly the Sophomores in Strange Lands and the Femme Fatales. They were the most reluctant to part ways. So warm hugs and kind words were exchanged before the women finally said goodbye.

The men, for their part, were not sentimental at all, but still did not deny that they had learned some things from their bizarre experience. If anything, they had seen how other winning teams worked to triumph over adversity, and they had all managed to pick up more than a few useful fighting techniques.

Besides, no one left empty handed as souvenir gift baskets of provisions (food and some wine, complimentary toiletries, and fruits and pastries) were given to every participant. The souvenirs would be consumed easily but at least they were useful.

When some had asked for the hotel's business card, the staff at the concierge merely shrugged and said that the place was going to go out of business as soon as the conference was over.

This puzzled a lot of the people there and they began asking many prying questions about their wonderfully peculiar venue.

0000000

"Why were we brought here anyway?" was the unresolved question of the day.

As much as the guests asked, prodded, demanded, hypnotized, coerced the members of the hotel staff, they could not find out any information on the identity of their mysterious host or hostess.

At most, the staff had referred them to the Organizer, who came with her clipboard and yet could still not reveal anything.

"I was only put in charge of executing a pre-ordained programme of activities," the Organizer had explained, "all we know is that we're getting paid for this job, and that it's a one time, big time deal."

After a while, the guests decided to drop their curiosity and simply resign themselves to the fact that they might never find out who had invited them to the conference and why he or she or they had done so. It didn't really matter anymore since they were all alive and well, and about to go back to their worlds.

Besides, all of them were more than accustomed to a fair share of weird happenings in their lives. This whole day of madness and mayhem would just be another chapter in their already convoluted histories.

"If we are not meant to know the whole truth," Sanzo commented, "then, it probably doesn't really matter."

Many others nodded in agreement at the monk's words. They had all been tossed around by fate to know that sometimes, it was best to just let things be.

So, one by one, the guests from various universes were beamed up and out of the Twisted Destiny hotel, never to return.

Some wondered why the transportation head could not find something a little more original than pillars of light but they did not dare complain for fear of being transported in an unpleasant way.

They all just rode the waves of light and watched as every trace of their conference venue disappeared from their sight.

And soon, the lobby that had been filled with people of all shapes and sizes became a vast, silent, empty space. When the final guest had disappeared, every member of the hotel staff heaved a sigh of relief.

Then, they got busy cleaning up and clearing out the entire venue as fast as they could. And when all the debris had been disposed of and everything was a tabula rasa once more, the Organizer sincerely thanked and commended everyone in the staff for a job excellently done.

"Well, people," said the Organizer, "that's a wrap."

-FIN-


End file.
